Daredevil engineer crushes speed record for fastest electric skateboard

A mechanical engineer that designs high-performance electric skateboards set his sights on snagging the record for the fastest electric skateboard. Not only did he succeed, but he absolutely obliterated the previous record.

Australian Raine Kent took his custom-designed electric skateboard up to a top speed of 132.37 km/h (82.25 mph).

That’d normally be an eye-watering speed on a skateboard, but Kent’s peepers were secured safely behind a full-face racing helmet to match his full-body crash suit.

The top speed was fast enough to snag the Guinness world record by a long shot, handily beating out the previous record of 95 km/h (59 mph).

Kent built his motors and is patenting the design for future use. He also precisely designed the truck angles on his board to reduce a phenomenon known as “speed wobbles,” where an electric skateboard can begin to oscillate at higher speeds, often turning into a runaway condition that can lead to a crash.

It’s a risk that comes with the territory, but it doesn’t seem to phase Kent:

I love the adrenaline rush that you get from e-skateboarding. I began my career in skateboarding in downhill racing so negotiating hills at speed and sliding and now I’ve moved into e-skateboarding. The speed, the adrenaline, the rush — I love it. It was very scary but exciting at the same time and it was good to achieve something that I had been talking about for so long. Breaking the record was awesome and hopefully we hold it for a few years to come.

Kent doesn’t only build custom record-setting boards, though – he also runs an electric skateboard business to sell his high-performance boards.

The company, known as Raith, offers a pair of models designed for electric skateboard riders seeking something more powerful than the average electric board.

The company’s AWD Vengeance electric skateboard is said to hit a top speed of 130 km/h (81 mph), meaning the most daring of riders still wouldn’t be able to snatch Kent’s record away from him without a fairly sizable tailwind.

For those not ready to risk their skin but who still want an adrenaline-pumping ride, the Raith Midnight electric skateboard offers a much more reasonable-sounding top speed of 60 km/h (37 mph). That’s still fast enough to do some serious damage, but compared to Kent’s record-setting ride, it seems downright leisurely.

Electric skateboards may sound like fun and games, but they’re actually a popular form of commuter vehicles in cities around the world.

They are the smallest and lightest four-wheeled electric vehicles around – yet can easily reach speeds faster than electric bicycles.

Their smaller wheels make them harder to ride on rough streets, leaving nicely manicured bike lanes as prime real estate for electric skateboard commuters.

All-terrain electric skateboards that use larger 5-7″ wheels can more easily handle rougher streets and even off-road trails, helping them find use both as commuter EVs and recreational vehicles.

I don’t think I’ll be taking my boards up to 80 mph any time soon, but let’s hear how fast you ride in the comment section below!